Steve Jobs on the iMac Launch: Making Enough Computers
What Jobs talks about
In this TV interview, Jobs talks about the iMac launch and the immediate challenge of meeting demand. He says Apple is making a lot of machines, but the real test will come as the iMac rolls out in the U.S., Europe, and Japan.
He defends the iMac’s design choices, especially the absence of a floppy drive, arguing that the internet has made it outdated. He also says Apple’s mission is to make great products and present them in a smart, fun way.
Jobs is also asked about Apple’s future and his role in it, but he redirects the conversation to execution: making enough iMacs, supporting dealers, planning marketing, and bringing developers back to the Mac.
An interviewer asks the questions; Jobs answers throughout.
In his words
“Our mission is to make such brilliant computers that can bring change in people's lives.”
“Take it out of the box and start working on the internet in 10 minutes.”
“Try it on a PC. It will take you about an hour.”
“The floppy drive has become a very old technique.”
“How can we make as many IMACs as possible?”
Key points
- Apple is focused on meeting iMac demand as the product launches internationally.
- The iMac is meant to get people online quickly and easily out of the box.
- Jobs argues the floppy drive is obsolete for most users because the internet now handles software and data transfer.
- Apple wants to make brilliant products and communicate about them in a smart, fun way.
- He says the important question is not his personal role, but how Apple can make and distribute as many iMacs as possible.
- Developers are returning to the Mac, which he sees as an important sign for the platform.
Full transcript
You are welcome. Thank you for coming. Thank you for inviting me. IMAC is getting very good funding. And I was thinking, do you have enough machines to fulfill the demand of this machine? Right? Yes. I don't know. I mean, we are making a lot. But we will get to know because IMAC will be available in America on Saturday. And in about two weeks, in Europe and Japan, so we don't know yet. I have been told that it is a science experiment. I think therefore IMAC was your idea. Is it true? Oh, the experiment is much more complicated than this. This is just one of our billboard lines. We have some more brilliant lines. One of my favorite lines is, Cheek, not geek, shake, not geek.
Anyway, for the geeks in the audience, whom I am also a part of, let's appreciate it. I noticed that this experiment is very brave and smart. Our mission is to make such brilliant computers that can bring change in people's lives. I mean, you can take IMAC home, take it out of the box and start working on the internet in 10 minutes. Try it on a PC. It will take you about an hour. So, I think we want to make brilliant products and then tell people about them. And I believe that people should know about them in a smart and fun way. And I hope that the science experiment that is starting on this Sunday on the wonderful world of Disney will do the same. Some purists are saying that it doesn't have a floppy drive so they are worried.
What do you say? See, when you go ahead, sometimes people don't understand. But the floppy drive has become a very old technique. There are only a few things for which you can use it. You can distribute software on it. And you can use it for the transfer of data. But now everyone is using the internet for it. So, we have come to know that it has become old. Now, if you want to test it on an IMAC, you can connect it. I think it will cost about $80-90. It will be there, but most of the customers may not want to connect it. Or maybe a more powerful zip drive or imagine super drive which can store 100 megabytes or more than that. Is it just a hobby for you or is it your main mission to bring Apple back on track?
I personally want to ask you what you want to see now. In this difficult time, how long will you be with Apple to take care of the company? You know, I had decided 6 or 9 months ago that this is not my problem. You know, that's why I decided not to worry about it. And I still don't worry about it. I just worry about things like launching the IMAC and making it in a sufficient quantity. So, Steve, do you have the veto power on who will take care of the company or not? You know, I have no idea. I think they will take my advice. What did they take? This is not even a topic of discussion. I think the topic of discussion is how we can make the IMAC.
How can we make as many IMACs as possible? How can we export them? How can we support our dealers? What kind of marketing campaign are we going to start? I think we have achieved great success with software developers. Developers are coming back to Mac and working with them. These are the things that are in our minds. Thank you and congratulations again.
Transcribed from the audio with OpenAI Whisper. Timestamps link to the video above. Errors are possible.